Illinois Public Transportation Association Top Priority Issues for 2005

• Preserve and guarantee funding levels for all grantees
• Inclusion of St. Clair County into the Downstate Operating Assistance Program; provide appropriations for DeKalb, Macomb, and Shawnee Mass Transit District; and guarantee appropriations to the statutory limit for current grantees
• Re-establish the Multi-Year Capital Bonding Program for transportation capital expenditures and develop a method of multi-year requests as recommended in the 2003 IPTA Capital Needs Assessment
• Re-establish General Revenue Fund
• Prioritize provision of local match for TEA 21 Reauthorization
• Encourage Balanced Growth
• Improve economic development with transportation infrastructure investment
• Coordinate services to create a more seamless transportation network
• Continue to work with the Governor’s Illinois Inter-agency Coordinating Committee to promote statewide coordination efforts
• Continue to work in concert with the Lt. Governor’s Rural Affairs Council to promote his downstate rural transportation initiative in un-served counties
• Increase ridership
• Improve quality of life